Discharge-valve structure for compressors



Oct. 16,1928. 1,688,027

I E. H. STEEDMAN DISCHAKGE VALVE STRUCTURE FOR COMPRESSORS Filed June 2,1927 E ii! I flrro ENEYJ Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED "STATES I EDWIN H. s'rnnnmamon s'r; Louis, MrssoUn I."

DISCHARGE-VALVE s'rRUoToRn non COMPRESSORS;

Applicationfilecl znme z,

This invention relates to compressors of the kind that are equipped witha discharge valve that normally has a comparatively slight movementrelatively to its seat, when itopens and closes, but is capable ofmoying a greater distance under certain conditions, as, "for example,when a slug of liqu1d -'or piece of foreign matter in the medium beingcompressed becomes jammed between the said valve and its seat. 7 p

One object of my invention is .to provide a compressor discharge valve,of the gen eral type mentioned, that is quietin operation and of suchdesign that the abutment member which limits'the movement of the valveaway fromits seat will not stick or remain in a cocked or cantedposition after an abnormal 'movement of the-valve, or, in other words,afterthe valve has moved a g eat-er distance than its normal limit oftravel to permit the passage of a substance of greater size than thespacewhich normally exists between the valve and its seat when the valveis open.

Another object is to provide a compressor 7 discharge valve structurethat is'inexpensive to construct, easy to ass'embleandinstall andreliable in operation. P i

Figure l of the drawings is a vertical sec tional view of a'compressorequipped with adischarge valve structure embodying my invention, showingsaid valvestructure in side elevation. V

Figure 2 is an enlarged ver'ti'calsection'ail view of said ,valvestructureJ Figure 3 is a. top planview of the abutment member whichlimits the movement of the valve away from its seat.

' Figure 4 is a bottom plan" view of said abutment member; and Figure 5is a vertical sectionalview, illustrating a slight modification of myinvention. Y

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of imyinvention, A designates the cylinder :of' a compressor which is providedin its head or upper end,

wall 1 with discharge ports 2 that are: controlled by an annular valve.B arranged above the endwall of the cylinder on a flat valve seat formedpreferably on the top "face of said end wall.:- The discharge valve 15isheld seated by a spring 3iarranged between said valve and a shoulderon a'guide l that projects upwardly from theend wall of the jcylinderthrough the valve B and 1927: "Serial No. 196,045,"

spring 3', I and an abutment member ,C of

novel Y construction and arrangement" is providedfor-limitingthemovement of said valve away from its seat; member C which is preferablof annular: form, as shown in Figures 3 an 4, iscapable of movinglaterallyrelatively-to the valve, and said abutment memberis providedwith a number of downwardly-projecting lugs or" legs- 5 thatnormallybear against the top side of the end Wall 1 ofthe cylinder.

Und'er normal o crating conditions the abutment member W fixed relationwith the valve seat): sot-hat the annular portion of said abutment mamThe abutmentremains at r'est or in her will act as a stop that limitstheupward movement of the valve awayfromits sea-t,

but under certain conditions'said abutment vmember is capable of movingupwardly rela" tively to the seat of 'the'valve, so asto permit thevalve to moveaway from its seat a greater distancethan its normallimitof travel, 'soi as to take care of an abnormal condition, as, forexample,jthe jammingof a slug of hqurdor piece-of foreign' mate rial inthe space between the valve and'its seat; In the form of my inventionherein illustrated this result is attained-by using a strong spring 6 ofgreaterforceor tensionvthan the valve spring 3" to'h0ld the legs 5 'on'said abutment member pressed tightly against the end wall 1 of thecylinder, said; strong spring 6 beinginterposed between the abutmentmemberC anda 'stop which may beformed 'bya hollow cap 7 or other partthat serves as a housing for "the valve structure and which is attachedto the upper end of thefcylinder. With such a valve struoture the valveB will normally reciprocate back and forth between the valve seat'w and.abutment member C without exerting suflicient upward pressure on saidabutment member to raise the legs 50f same out of engagement with theend wall lot the 'cyl-- i-nder, but if a. slug; of liquidror'apiece offoreign" :matter *of'" greater dimensions Pthan the. height of thenormal openingbetween the valve and its 1 seat 1 strikes the valve andforcesits way into the space betweenthe valve and its seat, the spring 6willyield, and-thus permit the, abutmentmemberG to move upwardlysufficiently to permitjsaid slug of liquid ora'pieceof foreign mattertopass-thevalv'ei In order that the abutment" will be maintainedinconcentrieor approxi-z the, valve.

mately concentric relation with the valve, and will be effectivelyprevented from remaining in a cocked or canted condition after it hasmoved upwardly to permit or provide for an abnormal movement of thevalve, I combine the abutment member 0 with the spring 6 in such a waythat said spring not only acts to normally hold the abutment memberstationary or in fixed relation with the seat of the valve, but-it alsoacts'as the sole means which holds said abutment member centered withrelation to One convenient way of accomplishing this result is toprovide the abutment member O with guides 8 that project upwardly intothe spring 6, as shown in Figure 2, thus forming a guiding means for theabutment member that has sufficient flexibility to permit the abutmentmember to cock upwardly at one side when the valve is subjected to-anabnormal pressure Without liability of remaining in acocked or cantedcondition. vAs shown in the drawing, there are no co-operating guidingportions on the valve and abutment member that prevent said parts frommoving laterally relatively toeachother, and there are no co-operating'parts on the abutment member and cylinder betweenthe valve B andabutment member a O, as shown 1n Figure 5. In such a structure the partlthat projects upwardly'fr-om the end wall of the cylinder acts as aguide for the valve B andthe valve spring 3, the abutment member C beingso arranged that the valve spring 3" is confined between the valve Bendthe annular portion of said member C.

A discharge valve structure of the kind above described is quiet inoperation, as the valve'B is held seated by a spring and normally has'acomparatively slight movement relatively to its seat when it opens andcloses; it permits a slug of liquidor a piece 1 of foreign matter of.greater size than the normal space between the valveand its seat to passthe valve without liability of. interferingwith the subsequentoperations of the V valve; such a' valve structure is inexpensive tomanufacture; 1t 1s reliable in operation and it s easy toassemble andinstall.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1s: 1. In a compressor, a discharge valve, an

abutment member for limiting the movement ofsaid valve away from itsseat, arranged so that 1t 1s capable of moving laterally relatively to"the valve and a re silient means that normally maintains said abutmentmember at rest or in fixed relation with'the valve'seat, and whichoo-operates with a portion on the abutment member to constitute thesolemeans for holding said abutment member centered with relation to thevalve. i L v i 2. In a compressor, a discharge valve, an abutment memberfor limiting the ,movement of said valve away from. its seat, arrangedso that it is capable of moving laterally relatively to the valve, acoiled spring that acts on said abutment member and normally holds itatrest or in fixed relation with the valve seat, and a guide on saidabutment member that projects into said spring and co-operates with sameto maintain the abutment, member centered with respect to the valve.

3. In a compressor, a part provided with discharge ports, aspring-actuated valve for controlling said ports, an abutment member forsaid valve arranged in opposed relation to the seat of the valve andprovided with legs that bear upon saidpart, said abutment o member beingcapable of movinglaterally relatively to the valve, av strong spring ofgreater tension than the valve springrthat acts on said abutmentmember-and normally holds the legs of same pressed tightly against saidpart, and a-means on said abutment member that co-operates with saidstrong spring to hold said abutment member cen-l tered with relationto'the valve. 1

4. In a, compressor, a part provided with discharge ports, an annularvalve that controls said ports, a guide on said part that projectsthrough said valve, a spri'ngo'for holding said valve seated, an annularabutment member arranged in opposed relation to the valve seat andprovided with legs that bear upon the part in which the ports areformed, said abutment member being capable of moving laterallyrelatively to the valve, a strong spring of greater rem sion than thevalve spring combined with said abutment member to normally holdit atrest'or iirfixed-relation with the valve seat, and guides on saidabutmentmember surrounded by said strong spring'and cooperating with thesame to constitute the sole means for holding the abutment mem bercentered with relation to the valve.

5. In a compressor, a cylinder provided ports, a flat valve seat on theouter face of' said wall, a flat annular valve for controlling saidports adapted to contact with'said valve seat, a housing at the upperend of the cylinder, a guide for the valve projecting upwardly into saidhousing from the end Wall of the cylinder,' aspring interposed betweensaid valve and a shoulder on said guide for holding the valve seated, anannular abutment member arranged above the valve in opposed relation tothe valve seat and provided With depending legs that bear on the endWall of the cylinder, said abutment member being capable of movinglaterally relatively to the valve, a strong spring;

of greater tension than the valve spring interposed between saidabutment member and" said housing, and guides on said abutment memberthat project upwardl V EDWIN H. STEEDMANQ into said strongspring andco-operate w th. the same

